Students explore technology and innovation at global smart cities expo

Students explore technology and innovation at global smart cities expo

20 Jan 2017

RMIT students from Australia, Vietnam and Singapore have attended the Smart City Expo World Congress, as part of the University's Global Summer in Barcelona program.

Students taking part in the first RMIT Global Summer in Barcelona visited international events and heard from industry leaders during the three-week program.

Tech innovations on show included robot police proposed for use in Dubai.

Innovations in 3D printing were in focus at the smart cities expo.

The smart cities expo is a global summit for discussion about the link between urban reality and technological revolution.

The 30 students were exposed to hundreds of innovative ideas for smart cities as part of a visit led by one of RMIT’s summer school facilitators, Associate Professor Ibrahim Khalil from the School of Science.

"We saw how a vehicle can move based on signals it receives from its surroundings, such as other vehicles and road infrastructure,” she said.

“It showed how highly automated cars can boost drivers' productivity but more importantly, how they can contribute to safer and more comfortable driving experiences.”

Buyandelger, who is from Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, said she thought some of the technology showcased at the event would work well in her home city.

“Of particular interest to me were the exhibitions on smart lighting and smart waste and recycling,” she said.

“Lighting and waste management are big issues yet they seem to be able to be solved easily with innovative technologies.

“Crime and incidents happen in dark streets and mismanaged waste pollutes our environment and the city – technologies such as these can help change our cities for the better.”

But Buyandelger noted that while smart technologies make our lives easier, they can also make us mentally and physically lazy.

“We already move and think less than we did ten years ago. Technologies are doing everything for us and companies are making decisions on our behalf,” she said.

“I think one challenge for a city, in this technology-driven age, is to create more ‘real life’ environments – more public spaces where families, children and the elderly can enjoy time together; more cycling and pedestrian roads for transport options; plus more nature and gardens.”